


Toni Stark is Many Things

by B0redaf



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Assassin Tony Stark, BAMF Tony Stark, Blood and Gore, Dark Tony Stark, Extremis Tony Stark, F/M, Female Tony Stark, Hydra (Marvel), I have a high tolerance for graphic stuff so like should this count as gore?, I'm gonna mention the tech part, Identity Reveal, Kidnapping, Kinda?, No Vision, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Really Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Tony Stark, Secret Identity, Strong Female Characters, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and a murderer, but not evil, but not have it used a lot, but not like the fire part, but we keep sam, just morally flexible, just the strength and healing and stuff, no maximoff, we gonna make her heal faster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B0redaf/pseuds/B0redaf
Summary: Toni Stark is many things.To the world, she is a genius, billionaire, philanthropist, playgirl, and Iron MaidenTo the Avengers, she is Stark or Toni.To James "Bucky" Barnes, she is the love of his life.To JARVIS, she is a mother.To the world, Medusa is one of the most lethal, ruthless, and successful assassins.To governments and organizations, Medusa is one of the most dangerous threats and potentially valuable assets.To the Avengers, Medusa is a potential candidate if they could figure out HOW TO CONTACT HER since no one has ever been able to find her unless she wants them to, and even then she finds them.To the Winter Soldier, she was his only friend, until he escaped.To Toni Stark, Medusa is who she sees in the mirror. Medusa is what a 16-year-old Toni decided to become when she was fed up with the world's bullshit. What was improved year upon year, as a way to do good in a not so morally upright way.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 7
Kudos: 98





	1. Dark Kisses and Bloody Smiles

People said darkness presses in, it doesn’t. 

To Medusa, darkness holds her close and whispers the thrill of the hunt in her ears. The darkness is her best friend, it's creative and forgiving, flattering and cool. Darkness became her favorite thing once she was able to spot it when she was no longer confused by day and night. Once she learned what she feared and what she wanted, the darkness went from her worst nightmare to her greatest ally. She unlocked her cage and let her skills step into the light or, well, the shadows.

As a young child, she used to wake in the dead of night and wish for the scarlet of the morning sun. The darkness worried her, her imagination supplied many beasts with fantastical jaws to lurk just beyond the range of vision. But now, she embraces it. The night provides cover from the flesh and blood monsters of the day. The monsters that walk the streets, and flash countless, meaningless smiles at cameras.

Even on the most moonlit of nights, she blends into the city shadows, staying clear of those pools of yellow light that flowed from the street-lamps. The neon and white lights that used to flood from the bars and restaurants are extinguished. The only reason to venture out at night is to join the game, the game where everyone can lose and the only prize is knowing you fought. So wrapped in the familiar darkness, she races towards her destination.

_____________________________________

The well-worn doorknob softly clicks as the door to the office opens with the quiet squeal of constant use. As a short man, with an equally short temper entered. The room was made of shapes in monochrome, of course, the daylight would bring it to light but that was over 3 hours away, but for now, it could be a scene from a black and white movie. The silhouettes were already more discernible than they were only a short while before and he gazed from the door towards the bolted window and out into the sleeping city, so much for the city that never sleeps. 

The sound of shuffling feet fills the quiet room as he feels away through the darkroom to the desk. Dropping his brown leather briefcase with a muffled thud on the carpeted floor and the rustling of the papers he sets on the desk, he fumbles with the short metal chain of the desk lamp as he pulls on the chain to bathe the room in light. A cold and sharp burst of air blows his papers from the desk all around the room, they dance around just out of reach, like teasing children in a game of tag, before drifting to the ground without another sound. 

The man whirls around and rushes to slam shut the window mumbling “I could have sworn it was shut” as he secured the iron bolt.

“Hello Mr. Anderson,” said a soft, feminine, voice. It flowed like poisonous honey, dangerously sweet and smooth. 

With an undignified shriek that sounded like a combination, the squeal of a pig and nails on a chalkboard, Anderson turned from the window to see a distinctly feminine figure. She wore aerodynamic compact armor with rivets of a soft and almost calming blue glow. Her heeled armored boots stretched up to her rich pink skirt embroidered with deceptively delicate gold. On her face was an eerie cyborg-esque mask with glowing blue eyes and a hood hiding the rest of her features, causing the blue eyes to take on an anonymous appearance. “W..wh..what do yo-you want...t?” he stuttered out in a voice that despite its apparent struggle to be used, made the question sound like it was spat at something vile.

“Miles, Miles” she tsked “is that any way to greet an old friend? Or at least the person you will say your last words to?” she stalked forward, a predator toying with her prey. 

Miles scrambled backward, trying to press himself through the bulletproof glass of the window he had, moments earlier, secured. He held a trembling hand forward “If it's money you want, I have lots!! If you let me live, I will give you as much as you want!! And if it's not enough I can get more for you!!! Let's be reasonable here! I can help y----” his rambling was cut short, eyes bulging as a blade of cold Vibramium metal danced and spun through his stomach. The blade was moved with a bloody squelching noise as his fate was sealed. 

As Miles Anderson convulsed on the floor, gasping for air that never seemed to reach his lungs. His nerves burned and froze all at once, as his blood turned to an ashen sludge, and his muscles slowly and painfully seized. His last breath drawn as his face twisted in agonized expression, one he would wear until his body was reduced to the dirt he was. The figure turned, a drawer slid open as a procured flash drive was placed among the rest, it would be found when the police learned of the unfortunate fate of Miles. 

A dainty, well-manicured, yet strong and calloused hand slid up the intricate mask as the other placed a small piece of paper, not much larger than a business card, on the corpse's chest, a warning made, a message delivered, a promise kept. The last thing miles Anderson's unseeing eyes saw were cold and calculating amber eyes and a bloody smirk. The figure turned on her heel and left the room, if it wasn't for the body, it would have appeared as if she had never been there at all.

The next morning when the district would rouse to the screams over the body, the police would see the symbol emblazoned on the paper, the head of a woman with unseeing eyes resting in the nest of snakes growing from her head. They would see and they would know, the case would never be solved. And they would never try.

  
  



	2. No.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the next morning

James and Toni were curled up on the couch, Toni with her eyes not even half-open, leaning on James and sipping her coffee while he traced her spine with his metal arm and watched her with soft eyes and a fond smile reserved only for her. 

Natasha and Sam were sitting by the counter. Sam half watching the news anchor, who was droning on about sales rates, as Natasha supervised Clint, who had way too much energy for just before 9 in the morning. 

Steve, who was still in his running clothes, was making enough bacon, eggs, and toast to feed half of New York City.

This was when they all had their peace, no villain got up this early to wreak havoc on the streets at this hour. This was when they could all relax while JARVIS sent all calls from Fury and Shield to a phone sex line so they could have their peace and quiet. Their ‘team bonding time’ was when they did nothing when they were content in each other's company.

“BREAKING NEWS” almost everyone jumped, Steve’s egg flying out of the pan and onto the wall, Clint shrieked, Sam fell over while Toni opened one eye all the way, still too calm to care. James raised an eyebrow and Natasha looked mildly amused.

The news anchor, who had looked rather bored earlier was now sitting with her back ramrod straight as she said the words that dashed across the top of the screen “Medusa has made another hit” everyone turned their full attention to the screen which was now showing Medusa’s signature. “the owner of Anderson Corporation, a cutthroat financial company, was found dead this morning. The police have not released a statement as to who, but an inside source attributes this murder to the infamous Medusa. A flash drive filled with evidence of tax fraud, theft, corporate espionage, and the attempted murder of his business partner Patrick Hyde was found in his desk when police did a sweep of the scene….” everyone tuned out the 

“God, to try and murder your own business partner… that guy is just awful” sam trailed off with a wince as he realized Toni had once been in a situation like that but when she made a wave with her hand, he relaxed a little.

Steve, after cleaning the egg off the wall mumbled “Medusa, I could have sworn I’d heard that name before….. Who are they again?”

Natasha was the first to answer “she’s one of the most if not the most successful assassins and spooks of all time.”

Winter took over and nodded “she’s more successful than we were, and we’ve been active 60 years longer than her.”

Toni smiled to herself, she was well aware of her record and reputation and planned on having a career as long as she was needed and could. She had started when she was 16 and now, 10 years later she was one of the best spook assassins in the world. She vanished without a trace and no one could ever find her, they had tried and she had watched as they searched every corner of the earth. Conspiracy theories online included she was god, alien, or some kind of superior benevolent being who would solve problems before people ever knew they were there.

Natasha continued, “when I was at the red room they kept going on about how she would have been the perfect widow, they tried to analyze her fighting styles, to find who had taught her, but they never could. Eventually, they sent me to go and try to bring her back to the red room.” 

She gained a faraway look in her eyes, “she showed up in a coat and some armor with a mask. There was no known person to see Medusa and live to tell the tale, but I knew it was her as soon as I saw her. I remember her just standing in front of me, I had gone to answer the door of my hotel room expecting to find a drunk person trying to get into the wrong room, and instead, Medusa stood right in front of me. She handed me a slip of paper, placed her other hand on my cheek like a mother to a child. She stepped back, nodded, then disappeared. I had tried to follow her but I couldn’t.” She shook herself and said softly, “I still have the note.” 

She pulled out a worn piece of paper that looks as if it was ready to crumble away into nothingness. She read aloud, “Little spider, I know why you were sent, but my answer is no. Monsters like me hunt alone, I will give you some advice. The tangled red web around you is not your friend, find someone who is. I hope to see you again when you have found a family to call your own.” the widow refolded the page and slipped it away.

“For someone who kills the way she does, she sounds nice in a slightly twisted and gross way,” said Clint, “I mean she does good things, but it's a little creepy. Like showing up randomly, not talking, giving someone a note, and leaving.” 

“She was very talented,” Winter rumbled, “Hydra tried to recruit her. They sent 24 agents to talk to her and try and convince her it was a good cause. We didn’t hear from them and my handlers were panicking when they got an email with a location and not saying she wanted no record of her answer.”

“They sent a few other agents, they figured she was going to say yes. When they came back they had pictures of 23 agents dead, they had bled out from every opening in their body, it was very efficient work. The last agent looked like he had been through hell.” he shifted so he could hold Toni closer, he didn’t like talking about his time with Hydra and neither did James. “The guy was a mess, he had curled up into a ball and was rocking back and forth. All hydra agents have to be able to withstand torture but she had broken this guy even though he seemed fine.”

“From what we could understand before he died, she had said no. but felt that she needed to make a point not to try and communicate with her again. A few weeks after that I ran into her on one of our longer missions and she told me she was sorry for me, gave me a nod, and left. I’m pretty sure I saw her a few times after that and I’m also pretty sure we were friends.” 

Sam whistled “Damn, I'm never gonna piss her off.”

Steve frowned “wait… Isn’t Fury trying to get her to join the Avengers?”

“Yep, but she said no.” Toni pointed out. “Remember that day when everyone on the helicarrier got really bad food poisoning?” 

Everyone nodded, how could they not? It felt like they were dying and everything tasted like bile. Fury had been… furious.

“She did that, she wanted Fury to know that she knew how to get onto the helicarrier and probably that she could kill everyone. I’m guessing that was her response.”

“How do you know that Toni?” Natasha asked.

“Medusa made sure to put her response where I could find it” JARVIS answered smoothly. As if getting messages from an assassin was an everyday thing, which, come to think of it, was an everyday thing at the compound.

Everyone sat in silence, contemplating.

“Okay, enough thinking about what painful ways we could die because of our career choices.” Toni clapped her hands and said in a voice that was surprisingly alert since she had only been half-conscious a few minutes ago. “Let’s have breakfast.”

Before anyone could move, an alarm blared through the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written any domestics scenes in a long time, but I think I did reasonably well.
> 
> Additional Note: 
> 
> Spook - in this context a spook is a person who is basically a ghost. Normally it implies a CIA agent, but this basically implies that they are impossible to find and if there wasn't proof, they wouldn't even be considered real, just a myth.


	3. The Birth of Medusa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little bit of background

Toni was first kidnapped when she was only five months old. 

She has been kidnapped hundreds of times throughout her childhood, she didn't even remember most of them but she remembered Maria had been pissed. 

Maria, to the media, was just pretty arm candy and a housewife to the brilliant and busy Howard Stark. 

But Maria had extensive training from her time before her life with Howard and was an accomplished assassin from the Italian version of the Red Room in Russia. The only difference, the trainees could leave when they wanted and the methods leaned more towards the gratification of success rather than harsh punishment for failure. So at the age of 10, Toni was sent to an ‘elite private boarding school’ for three years in Italy, before she began her time at MIT. The kidnappings lessened significantly after that.

Not only was Toni snarky and insufferable according to the media, but she was becoming increasingly dangerous and more valuable. Not as a way to make a fast buck from a ransom, but as the source of money and power herself in ways the world knew about, and ways they didn’t.

Toni had made her first ‘real’ weapon when she was nine and had learned to use it from her mother. It had been an LMG that when compared to any of Howard's designs, humiliated them and her father had done his best to hide it from the world. 

Toni’s record of new successful kidnapping became almost 0 a few years before Afghanistan, having decided to use her skills after she was kidnapped by a start-up illegal chemical weapons organization. 

They had grabbed her out of a chaotic campus party and managed to get her all the way to the middle of nowhere, Montana. They had left her in a room full of advanced chemistry lab equipment and chemicals, where they ordered her to make them a sarin gas missile and instead, she had made Medusa. As soon as she had to agree to make the weapon they left her unsupervised which led to a very unfortunate power outage, a large explosion, and a lot of dead bodies. She had built herself a gas mask powered by a mini predecessor of her famous arc reactor, a smoke bomb, and created a sword that somehow managed to store and constantly replenish the surface supplies of poison. She had killed them all and returned home before anyone noticed she had been missing. She had always known how to make miniaturized power sources but had never made it public knowledge because they tended to be a little bit… unstable. 

Eventually, she started selling some of her weapons to the government. 

They would fight the battles she couldn’t and she would fight the battles they wouldn’t. 

Her first weapons contract was when the world finally realized there was a Merchant of Death waiting in the wings. Just before her first deal, Medusa had captured the attention of organizations all over the world, the title came from an officer who was at the scene. Describing the body of Tiberius Stone as, ironically, ‘turned to stone’.

The kidnapping attempts stopped after she had become the CEO of Stark industries, not long after her parent's and Jarvis' deaths. She knew the truth behind their deaths, Medusa, after all, had made friends with their killer, who was clearly not enjoying what he was doing. She was still friends with him though, because her mother had died in the crash itself (which was genuine accident) and her father had gotten what he deserved. 

She then spent a few years getting a few more PhDs and Masters and creating JARVIS, named after the man who had been more of a father than Howard ever could be. DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers came to life while JARVIS became connected to every intelligence agency, website, business, and resource in the world. 

With her mind sharp and her poison strong, Toni started working, she turned the world upside down with her ideas and designs, while medusa cleared out the rotten underside. 

She didn’t hate building weapons, they made a lot of money, and medusa dealt with who she could, but after Afghanistan and Stane, she decided she had bigger prey to hunt.

Much bigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might take a short pause from this fic, and by short I mean a week max. or I'm going to do short chapters I am going to be very busy and stressed and sleep-deprived. As an apology, I'm posting this chapter.


	4. Gorgon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, that took longer than a week to be posted.
> 
> Winter is when the winter soldier is in control, James is when Barnes is in control.

Toni was so fucking tired of supervillains. Couldn’t she have one day off? She’s Medusa, she's Toni Stark, she's Iron Maiden, can’t she have a day off? 

Nope.

\----------------

Winter growled as the Avengers assembled and James was a constant mantra of ‘no trigger happy on civilians’

They were working out understanding Toni and picking through their memories to determine what the odd feeling in their chest was when they were around Medusa, and some asshat just had to try and take over the city.

Ублюдки.

\---------------

Toni grabbed her small, delicate-looking silver and blue bracelet, just in case something happened to her armor and medusa needed to make an appearance.

She reconvened with the avengers in time square. Would a little originality hurt anyone? Like did they have to parade themselves through a heavily populated area filled with stupid tourists?

Today was someone she didn’t recognize as Iron Maiden. 

But Medusa, Medusa would know this woman anywhere.

This was hydra’s attempt to replicate her. Gorgon.

Gorgon was a mutant and enhanced, she was also equipped with some of Hydra’s best specialized weapons. But everyone believed Hydra died, the only reason she knew they were still up and kicking was they made a mistake, they stored data on a flash drive and gave it to one of their leaders who became medusa’s victim for completely unrelated reasons.

She never went to SHIELD with the info, Fury would be too curious about the origins and she didn’t have the patience to deal with any more government meddling.

Too bad Hydra couldn’t replicate Medusa and instead scraped the whole idea, Gorgon was an unknown. 

That was a problem.

\----------------

“Avengers!” a lady dressed in what was basically a catsuit covered in snake patterns, a heavy Russian accent lilting in her voice jeered. “About time you showed up! Gorgon was worried you would be late.”

She was lounging on what looked like a cloud of purple mist, fiddling with a black whip.

Great. Just great. 

She let out a low laugh, Winter’s hairs stood on end as he watched a shiver run down the rest of the Avengers' spines, while the Widow looked on in concern.

“Turn yourself in peacefully and no one needs to get hurt.” 

God, Stevie was such an idiot sometimes. WHAT FUCKING PHSYCO HAS EVER TURNED THEMSELVES OVER WILLINGLY?????? Winter could feel James’ internal facepalm as Winter let out an exasperated sigh.

“You think you can arrest me? That is one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard,” she said as she stood up.

Steve leaped forward and hurled his shield at the woman as she dropped to the ground and the once black whip turned on an ominous purple hue.

The woman was unfazed by the shield and she flicked her whip, a sharp clang sent it hurtling back. Ramming into the widow’s side with a sickening crunch. 

Winter had seen very few people fight with whips, this would prove to be an interesting battle.

He watched as the Widow collapsed, coughing up blood. 

Having just witnessed the woman’s true capability, the rest of the avengers attacked the woman at the same time, knowing that the woman wouldn’t be able to take them at the same time.

Winter looked to the sky, searching for Toni, she must be protected, while they weren’t dating until he had his feelings sorted out about medusa, she was important and must be protected. 

He and James worked in tandem as they dodged the whip, combining their knowledge and experience.

The woman was unfazed by the attack that they had launched at her, as she ducked out of the way of kicks and punches.

\----------

Toni was unsure what Gorgon's mutant ability was. All she knew was that Gorgon could kill, not as efficiently as Medusa, but she was a major threat to the unprepared team.

Sending a repulsor beam at her, only to find it being curved by the purple mists, she pulled away. 

This was Hydra. They had larger plans.

A collision with her suit turned the world hazy, the last thing she saw before the pain clouded her sight, was a squad rushing towards her. 

‘Great’ she thought, ‘fucking Hydra.’

\--------------

The woman huffed in annoyance as she watched the widow hurl herself forward attempting to reach her throat, her actions greatly hindered by the blood she spat. A cloud of purple enveloped Widow as Gorgon smirked. 

Clint then fired one of his arrows at the woman only for her to catch the arrow in her hand, and she hurled a purple arrow at him.

It exploded squarely on his chest, enveloping him in a cloud similar to the one that had taken out the Widow.

Winter made not to avoid all purple clouds, whatever they were, they were dangerous. He had seen Iron Maiden's collision with the emp and he needed to make sure she was safe. But she wouldn’t truly be safe until gorgon was gone.

Sam halted his dive attack and looked over at Steve, winter knew that was a mistake.

The whip wrapped around the falcon’s ankle and hurled him the rest of the way to the ground and then threw him into a storefront, a cloud of purple chasing after him.

Winter felt someone come up behind him. He slit the throat of a masked person, taking note of their uniform he was filled with dread and felt the space he shared with James grow cold.

Not them. 

Not Hydra.

He had to end this as soon as possible

Something massive slammed into him and he caught himself with shaking arms.

He had seen the fight-ending many different ways, but none of them ended like this. 

He should have known hydra was back, medusa had barely been active in new york since the avengers had formed, as far as he knew. 

He turned to find Stevie collapsed and hacking up blood as he struggled to push himself off him.

The last thing that he saw before he fell into purple-tinged darkness was the woman standing in front of them, a devilish grin on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ублюдки - bastards
> 
> Again, so sorry for taking a while.


	5. 174 Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YOU GET TO SEE THE ARMOR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Medusa's armor art is in this chapter!
> 
> Also, the Avengers first meet Medusa.

Winter awoke in a somewhat familiar cell, a low groan caused him to turn around, wincing as he did so. 

The unpleasant reminders brought back made James become more present in their mind, a reassurance everything would be fine. 

In various expressions of discomfort and pain were the Avengers.

The widow had clearly recognized where they were, pulling into the glazed-over mask that he vaguely recalled her wearing during their time in the red room. 

The falcon had quite a few bruises and some small cuts, but he looked like he was in pretty good condition considering he had no serum and was hurled through a storefront window. 

Steve looked sore and had a sizable cut on his jaw but other than the slight grogginess he seemed relatively uninjured. He had the serum, he would heal in a few hours at most.

But Toni, Toni was in the worst condition by far. Her eyes were closed and she had so many cuts from her suit and her breathing sounded labored. The civilian clothing she was wearing had blood soaking through the fabric over her lower thigh.

He reached over and gently took her hand in his own, she gently squeezed it as she offered a tired and slightly strained, but warm smile. 

He would make hydra pay for what they had done to her.

The echoing of footsteps resounded through the once silent corridor.

Everyone roused themselves, clint mustering up a scowl despite clearly just waking up.

“Look who's finally awake.” Smiling down at them with a shark-like hunger, was Alexander Pierce.

“Fuck off Pierce” Toni spoke without opening her eyes. “Just get it over with. I don't feel like dealing with your leering right now. We both know what you want. You’ve asked me 174 times. My answer is the same.”

\---------------------

‘Since when had Toni known Pierce was Hydra? why hadn’t she told us?’ winter rumbled into their mind space.

‘She probably didn’t have proof, or she had a hunch but dismissed it because he’s an asshole.” James murmured, ‘but she's a genius, there could be hundreds of thousands of reasons.’

\----------------------

One of the seven guards that had been flanking Pierce jerked open the cell door with a painful squeal causing everyone to wince.

The other six trained their guns on the Avengers as the other seized Toni and jerked her to her feet.

Winter growled, but a pat on the shoulder from Toni silenced him. 

Powerless he watched as they dragged her out of the cell. 

He snarled as the lock clanked shut and they dragged her out of view.

\-------------------

He hauled himself to his feet and attempted to bend the bars, but even with his vibranium arm from Toni and the super serum, they remained firmly in place.

He attempted to kick it down, hoping they hadn’t reinforced the hinges or the walls but again, nothing.

\-------------------

Hours passed, winter grew restless, he felt useless. 

He hadn’t felt like this since Medusa had gone missing. 

He wasn’t sure how long Medusa had disappeared because he had been in cyro some of the time but it had felt worse than the chair ever had. 

Every mission he would stall, hoping she would turn up, hoping he would see his friend.

\----------------

Soft footsteps raced down the hallway.

The avengers, who had been trying to plan an escape and had finally shaken off their grogginess sat ramrod straight, tensed.

Waiting.

For what, winter was unsure.

For Toni to return covered in wounds because he had been too weak to protect her?

For another one of them to be dragged away?

For more of Pierce’s leering?

To become Gorgons chew toys? 

“You look like you’re having fun.” Winter would know that voice anywhere. That was the person who had truly broken him from Hydra’s hold, more than and long before Steve ever had. 

“Little spider, I’m glad you found your family but… maybe not under these circumstances.” The Widow who had been withdrawn and silent was looking wide eyes and a mouth hanging slightly open. It was rare to see the widow caught off guard.

Standing before them in the armor he so clearly remembered, was medusa. 

She wore the same compact armor with that gentle blue glow. Her armored boots, pink skirt, eerie mask with glowing blue eyes, and hood helped to conceal her further. 

Medusa's Armor!!!!! I am aware it is a little dramatic... 

Steve, Sam, and Clint all looked terribly confused.

“Ummm…. Who are you?” said Steve, eloquent, as always.

“Oh, right only Rusty and Little Spider know who I am,” she did an exaggerated bow “Medusa at your service.”

Winter couldn't help the huffed laugh he let out at the awe, shock, and dawning horror on their faces.

“You … you’re Medusa? As in THE Medusa?” Clint asked.

“Yes. As you can see, I am decapitated and have snakes for hair," the sarcasm dripping from her voice sent a flash of a rainy night through winter’s head, a memory, or at least a glimpse of one. "no, however, I am Medusa, the one who is an assassin if that is what you are asking.” 

“What are you doing here?” the Widow asked cautiously “you aren’t working with Hydra are you?”

Medusa snorted “hell to the fucking no. I will work with Hydra after the apocalypse and the planet is blown up. Speaking of blowing up, step back. I didn't bring any small explosives today.”

Knowing better than to risk the weapons of one of the world's best assassins everyone moved as far from the door as fast as they humanly could. She pulled out a small disk not much larger than a watch face which she slammed onto the lock and rapidly backpedaled.

Smoke filled the air followed by a loud clang, with slightly ringing ears the avengers watched as the smoke cleared and the door, now lay bent like a funhouse mirror. 

The sound of snapping fingers shook them out of their daze.

“What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get the fuck up and get the fuck out of here or you can get your revenge while I finish this. I don't care, just MOVE.”

  
  



	6. Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in 1 night, a good apology?

The blast door at the end of the corridor slammed open.

Dozens of agents armed to the teeth flooded the hallway. 

Somewhere amongst them came the order “aim for Medusa, either shoot to kill or disable. Regardless she WILL NOT make it out of here alive.”

A fury roared through James and Winter, it was the same rage they had felt as the asset, the same desire to obliterate all that stood in their way. 

He had already failed Toni, he could not fail Medusa too.

Hydra had signed their death warrants.

Medusa was theirs.

He was ready to bring hell down to anyone and everyone who ever threatened her. 

Hydra did the worst thing they could, they took Medusa from him, ripped her away for weeks and months at a time and they were trying to do it again.

But this time they were trying to make it permanent. 

Winter and James would never let that happen again. 

They will make an example out of Hydra. 

They will send a message, a clear threat.

Medusa was under the protection of Winter and James, The Winter Soldier, and the former fist of Hydra.

The grunts and gasps of pain as he ripped spinal cords out of agents, caved in chests, and shattered skulls made them smile. 

They keep watch over their Medusa out of the corner of their eye, she would always hold some part of their focus but they could smell hints of blood and smoke, hears the screams, and sees the panic that reigns.

They watched in awe as their medusa whirled through the fight, her skirt whirling around her, turning her into a beautiful dancer who also happened to be the world’s deadliest assassin.

Hydra stood no chance.

They want more. 

They want to make Hydra into a glaring, clear message.

They move as fast as they can, appearing at one place and then disappearing, only to reappear at incredible distances within seconds.

The agents scream.

They continue.

They slice veins, tear through flesh, and break bones until there is no movement and no agents standing anywhere in sight.

A placating hand on their forearm stops them.

“You need to conserve your strength, calm down, they are gone, you killed them.” 

They take a shuddering breath and turn, facing Medusa and the avengers.

The avengers have seen him get like this only once before when Toni was down and out of her suit, surrounded by doom bots, but that hadn’t been bloody.

Steve wrinkled his nose “Buck… not that I don’t appreciate you getting rid of those hydra agents… but you need a shower.”

They looked down to find they were covered in blood. A giggle causes them to tear their eyes back up.

“That was so sweet Rusty, but I thought you stopped doing that, maybe even forgot how to.” medusa’s voice was filled with a warm fondness, not disgust as he had expected.

Placing her ungloved hand on his face, she said “you could have rejoined hunting. It wasn’t the same without you but I figured you didn’t need any reminders.”

“Where would he have found you? No one can you, you find them.” Sam spoke up, pinching his nose as he waded through the sea of bodies.

“Actually, Rusty DOES. He’s done it before, if I want him to find me he can,” taking a step back she tilts her head “wait you might not remember actually. You will eventually. You were definitely memorable.”

Clint squawked “wait are you saying… you and him????”

“If I could roll my eyes right now and you could see it, that’s what my face would be doing right now. Think what you want to but I am here on a mission and I intend to complete it. I’ll see you guys later.” she spun on her heel and walked through the blast door, entering the maze of corridors. 

She called over her shoulder “Oh, and Rusty, here’s a reminder, it was raining.”

\--------------

The avengers follow Winter and James as they lead them through the base, trying to remember the floor plans of the base, since each base was built in a similar fashion if you knew how to navigate one you knew how to navigate the others.

It was odd they didn’t run into too many agents but that was probably because of Medusa, she would most likely be Hydra’s goal. He didn’t like the thought of her being alone in a base full of enemies but he had no right to stop her, he had forgotten and so he couldn’t protect her until he remembered.

It was getting difficult to distinguish what was from Toni and Medusa though, they loved them both but if they had to pick, Medusa would always hold a special place in their heart. That was why they hadn’t dated Toni, they had talked with her, it wasn’t respectful to put someone second if you dated them and James had been raised right while winter found the thought to be disgusting.

“THERE you are!” Toni stood in front of them, she looked tired and was limping slightly but she didn’t look any worse than when she had been hauled away, which caused winter to let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He pulled her into a hug “we were just looking for you, Medusa helped us out.”

She buried her face into his chest, “speaking of Medusa, she wants us to find gas masks. Mentioned a gas that makes people bleed from every opening in their bodies. She said something about it being ‘fitting.’ since I don’t want to die like that I made some.” 

She had just tossed them the masks when Gorgon ripped into the corridor. 

“I forgot to mention they also work on her mutation” Toni whispered as James took over and stepped in front of her, winter was too angry to keep anything on his face, it reminded him too much of their time as the asset. 

“You guys handle her, I need to blow up their labs and get the materials to blow up the rest of the building, good luck.” 

James didn’t want to risk Toni, her injury would prevent her from fighting to her full abilities and she didn’t have her suit, so with a nod, he watched her slip away.

\-----------

Toni quickly had Medusa's armour fold out of her nanotech bracelet, she had already blown up the labs, but she needed the data Hydra had.

Data on those they planned to kill, replicate, or capture.

She knew she was on that list in every form, but she needed to know who else was on there.

She needed to make sure they would stay safe, after all, loads of not so great people would be interested in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing


	7. forgotten friend

Medusa slipped through the endless hallways.

Being in a chase brings a primal fear, the kind that brings out every ounce of you, that empties the reserve tank of the reserve tank.

It is the kind of fear of the worst of nightmares, the kind that ignores physical and mental pain in the pursuit of safety.

Medusa loved it, loved the way the hunters became the hunted.

The look of dawning horror on their faces as they went from monsters to trembling children alone in the darkness.

She had always loved the hunt, it had been better with her secret unofficial partner, the winter soldier.

Oh, how she had missed him.

She had missed him every time he was put in cryo, and once he had escaped he had forgotten her.

When she finally saw him again, wandering the tower in the middle of the night, he had been so innocent and monstrous at the same time, so confused about the simplest things but at the same time, he was still the same person she had known.

He hadn’t recognized her face, but he had remembered medusa.

He hadn’t remembered that rainy night.

Shaking herself from her thoughts she slipped into the control room, who said she wasn’t allowed to have any fun?

Besides if she added music no one would be too concerned if she started to hum under her breath as she turned the base into a slaughterhouse.

She would have to tell the team eventually, might as well make them slightly less terrified of medusa, make her more human, not just a master assassin.

And if the music she played was what she listened to when she was with Rusty and it would help him remember her, that was no one's business but her own.

\--------------

James’ hands clenched into fists so tight the metal of his left-hand groans.

The gas mask he was wearing was apparently bulletproof after Sam had gotten himself shot in the face by the agent who had come to assist Gorgon.

Trust Toni to make a bulletproof gas mask in the span of a few minutes.

No one wanted to make the first move, so the avengers were currently locked in a stalemate as Gorgon stared at them with a gaze that made it clear she was in her…

not right mind…

but at least her own mind.

Winter was wreaking havoc in their mental space, hating having to cover their face even though it was with something from Toni, but also the fact they didn’t know where Medusa was.

The fact they weren’t by her side.

James didn’t like it either, he and winter both felt the draw to Medusa, the interest, the memories just out of reach

\---------

She called on the serum that flowed through her veins, healing her thigh from where the EMP had collided with her suit.

While she didn’t enjoy how draining the tech aspect of the serum was, she didn’t need it, she was the best in the world when it came to tech and she didn’t need any fucking Extremis to help her.

But the injection had been one of the best things for medusa, it had made her faster and stronger.

She could process information at twice the speed she already could.

But the healing, the healing was the best part.

The healing is what allowed her to truly hunt.

To exact her revenge in close combat rather than strategic sniping like the winter soldier.

She was unparalleled when it came to close combat because she had trained as a baseline human and then everything she could do was amplified.

She had experimented with her abilities once or twice, letting people get closer and closer to killing her before brutally using the Kadochnikov Systema, Krav Maga, her weapons, or poison gas.

She had never enjoyed the kill but she loved the fire that coursed through her veins.

She knew that whatever part of her that enjoyed the hunt, the adrenaline, the kill, would never go feral. She would never become a different person, she almost had once, but after that slip she never let it happen again.

The agents in the control room turned to look at her, she let them know she was there, it would provide at least a little more of a challenge.

Taking a step forward she twisted a gun from the first agent's hand, catching the weapon and slamming it into his skull with enough force for the weapon to crumple.

Sensing another agent from behind her she hauled him up and over her shoulder, wielding him like a sledgehammer into yet another agent who had drawn a knife and had been slinking up to her in the shadows.

The last man though, he, had stood and watched calmly.

She knew him.

He had been the winter soldier’s handler.

She would enjoy this.

\-------------

He struggled to reign in his anger and steady his breathing.

This was the second time he and winter had snapped in the last two hours, that was a major problem.

But then again, it wasn’t entirely their fault.

By the end of fighting Gorgon James sported a bruise on his side and a minor dent in his left arm from when he had bashed her skull in.

Everything had been going fine, they were winning and James didn’t need to step in. content to let the widow use a gun she had scavenged off a fallen agent to slowly cripple gorgon.

That was until Gorgon had made a mistake, getting overconfident was one thing.

Pissing James and winter off?

That was a death sentence, all she had said was a single slight.

A minor insult to the person she had been modeled after.

For reasons still unknown to James all it had taken was her mentioning how Medusa would disappear again and go back to hiding like a coward after suffering such a ‘humiliating' defeat at the hands of Hydra...

they had gone ballistic.

\------------------

If you've never seen the transition from a human to a corpse, the moment the soul passes on, it is a very moving experience.

If it is one you love there is a moment of grief, as if all the love you ever felt for them, every good memory sparks up as if the soul makes this SOS for them to return.

If it is someone you despised, someone who you had managed to exact revenge on and bring about their death, you were filled with warm satisfaction, knowing the ones you cared for had been avenged.

That was how medusa felt as she stood over the corpse, data chip in hand.

The carcass, the corpse, the remains of the body without them are so very different. Seeing it makes it real in ways that are hard to transmit to the deep subconscious self in other ways.

Smiling to herself she walked to the computer system, it was ancient but she could work with ancient. Fingers flying over the keys, she poured as much data as she could into the chip she had collected.

All the while the audio system had started to pick up on the playlist she was forcibly downloading.

What was a mass execution without a little music?

She let AC/DC pour through the speakers.

\--------------

Highway to Hell was pouring through the speakers when James finally saw medusa was safe.

This base must have had a never-ending stream of agents, at least 20 lay dead but they still had 50 more to go.

But she had walked in like nothing was wrong, only bothering to hurl an agent that had lunged at her into the wall 10 feet away, the impact leaving a dent with a sickening crunch.

Since when had she been able to do that? It had been years since he had seen her truly fight without holding back, without letting him complete his missions. She had always been distracted when they were together, making sure to keep one eye he had never seen on him at all times.

“Still here?” the surprise evident in her voice was slightly offensive as if he would leave her…

But hadn’t he? he had left her and even forgotten about her.

His slip in concentration led to her hurling one of her few daggers to him, he caught it effortlessly.

He recognized this one, it was one of her favorites.

It was also his favorite, her custom Jagkommando Tri-dagger.

It was the embodiment of his forgotten friend. It was perfectly balanced, incredibly sharp, and was absolutely deadly.

Twisting it could tear organs, even the handle was deadly, able to shatter glass and inflict unparalleled amounts of blunt force trauma.

Hydra had given him a few, but none had ever matched the craftsmanship of the one he held.

Adjusting to the familiar grip he was suddenly thrown back into a memory of the last time he had held the blade.

Ok so this is the dagger, it is one of if not the most deadly hand to hand combat weapons to ever exist. When used properly wounds bleed out in minutes and entire TEAMS of surgeons are needed to close them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No notes... I think.

**Author's Note:**

> I Tried? Hope you like it so far!


End file.
